Features p.27 A Look at NCC'81 [author Steven K Roberts] A photo essay on the National Computer Conference held last May in Chicago. p.38 Build an Unlimited-Vocabulary Speech Synthesizer [author Steve Ciarcia] An easy-to-use speech synthesizer can be designed using the Vorrax SC-01 Speech Synthesizer Chip. p.58 the Xerox Alto Computer [author Thomas A Wadlow] Some attributes of this research tool will be used in the next generation of personal computers. p.72 Tree Searching, Part 1: Basic Techniques [author Gregg Williams] A BASIC program allows your computer to solve a sliding-blocks puzzle. p.112 One Step Forward-Three Steps Backup, Computing in the US Space Program [author Patrick Stakem] The stringent demands of space exploration are met by several 8- and 16-bit microprocessors. p.164 ArtificIal intelligence [author Steven K Roberts] Intelligent computers could ease the task of dealing with vast amounts of information, if certain problems can be solved. p.180 A High-Level Language Benchmark [author Jim Gilbreath] Speed benchmarks for more than fifty implementations of high-level languages. p.200 Science Fiction's intelligent Computers [author Donald Byrd] Current knowledge of a…